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Benefits to Using Placement Agencies

The benefits of using placement agencies, temporary employment, or contract positions are often overlooked as a viable employment option, but unless you have a great job already lined up, working for an agency may be the smartest way for you to look for work. Here are the benefits of working for an agency:

Gain valuable experience in your chosen field or in a new field that you may not have considered. If you have the skills to do the job, but you lack experience, working with an agency can help you gain that much needed experience. You have the opportunity to work in different types of positions – such as administrative, research, analyst, metadata, digital asset manager, archivist, records specialist, cataloger, library assistant, law librarian, law firm reference librarian, medical librarian, records clerk, and information specialist, just to name a few.

Increase your networking contacts and expand your knowledge of the many possibilities that exist in the LIS field. It provides an opportunity to try out different work environments and employers, such as law firms, medical and pharmaceutical companies, investment banking, research, financial services, corporate, legal and tax departments, the Library of Congress, NASA, other government agencies, corporate environments, and consulting firms.

Boost your confidence and develop references who can verify your ability to perform the work.

Agencies are free to use. Employers pay the agency to find viable candidates.

Assignment may lead to regular employment. Many employers use temporary assignments as a way to check out or vet prospective hires before offering a regular position, and some companies do all of their hiring through agencies. In addition, a temporary position can also provide an opportunity to find out about unadvertised openings.

It may provide flexible work options. In some cases, employers may be able to accommodate your availability. Or, it may be a part-time job, or a fulltime but short-term placement. This flexibility can may enable you to pursue additional career opportunities, for example, give you time to attending professional development workshops or writing for a publication.